Car-coupling



G. R. LEWIS.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented July 19, 1892.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

GRANVILLE R. LEWIS, OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,106, dated July 19, 1892.

Application filed April 5, 1892- Serial No. 427,915. (No model.) i

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE R. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vertical-plane car-couplings in which a lockpin is used pivoted on a rod passing horizontally through the body'of the coupler and is suspended in the center of the coupler. An arm extending from the hinge of the knuckle is shaped to lock smoothly with this pin. The pin is worked for uncoupling by a lever placed beneath the pin.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to secure easy and firm locking by a pivoted or suspended gravity-pin; second, to avoid the use of springs in securing firm and safe locking, and, third, to look without the jam andjar necessarily attending the use of springs in couplers, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a hori- Fig. 2 is a verlevers g on the ends of the cars by a chain or (Shown in broken opening from front to back of coupler; 0 0,

countersinks for the heads of suspension-rod b on one side and for keying on the other, as shown by p; 5, head of draw-rod k; 1", opening in which the arm of the knuckle works when coupled.

q, dotted lines, shows the are described by arm h when uncoupling.

4) shows slot with the end of the lever c in position.

The operation of this coupler is as follows: Either one of the couplers can be opened by means of the lever g at the end of the car, which lifts the chain or rodf, and with it the lever e, which operates the rock-shaft or rod (2. The lever c is carried up and inwardly, and the lock-pin a, on which it impinges, is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines a". W'hen thus thrown back, the arm It can then be swung out of its normal position to that shown by dotted lines h", and the coupling is then wide open. The second coupling being locked is shoved into the opening, and so soon as that coupling touches the arm h it is forced inwardly along the dotted line q into the normal position, as seen at to, Fig. 1, at the same time pushing lock-pin a ahead of it until reaching its proper place,

when the gravity lock-pin a will fall into its proper locking place, as seen in the figures in solid lines, and the arm h will be securely held until unlocked by means of the levers g and e,-as heretofore described for uncoupling the cars. The lever 0 works in a slot 12 the lever c, rock-shaft or rod d, the levers e e, 10 and chains or rods f, and levers g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GRANVILLE R. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

I. P. WILLIAMs, THOS. I-I. YOUNG. 

